“Mingle with the wilderness of life and find stillness in all the madness.
Set the world on fire, with all of your dreams, but remember to hold space for calm, Pause. Soak it all in. Breathe
Explore the human spirit, body and mind,
Sharpen and align them.
Revel in nature, find joy in the simple things.
Slow down, Take your time
Be present,
Be mindful,
Just be.”

- Word Pharaoh

How would you describe the last few months?

With a multitude of feelings and changes over the last few months, the phrase disruption of patterns comes to mind. Our habits and behaviors - good and bad - have been put to the test this year. Delving into the unknown without any control or understanding of what is yet to come, has consumed our thoughts and disrupted patterns of behavior that we may not have even realized we followed.

This disruption has opened the door to many thoughts of concern and possibly feelings of anxiety, but as with any crisis, there is always some opportunity. his disruption has also invited us to look inward in order to re-evaluate, re-prioritize and grow. Now more than ever, one’s immunity is a top priority, and this means that being active is of course of the utmost importance, but so is listening to our bodies and being mindful of our behavior, thoughts and actions.

Mindfulness is simply being aware of the present moment- being aware of our surroundings, feelings and sensations. Despite its simplicity, it is often lost in our attempts to accomplish, achieve, control and even simply to live. Simple things such as enjoying a cup of coffee or a meal are rushed and often coupled with staring at or scrolling through our many gadgets. We don’t realize how we mindlessly go about our days or move from one place to the next. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with aiming to achieve and challenge oneself, stopping for a moment to breathe and observe becomes a welcomed change, for achievement and mindfulness are far from mutually exclusive. In fact, mindfulness instills a calmness that inhibits stress and in turn helps us increase our productivity, concentration and creativity.

Our classes integrate this Mindfulness through movement; they are carefully sequenced by our instructors to invite you to move and breathe in patterns that may be unfamiliar yet encourage you to listen to what your body is craving and perhaps also what it is avoiding. As you tune inwards, we hope to guide you to move intuitively in a way that feels both challenging and good to you.

A regular yoga class follows the cueing of an instructor, and we add a layer of mindful movement in order to make it more personal. Rather than focus on emulating, you are guided to move mindfully, observing both how you move and how you feel as you fluidly transition from one form of movement to the other. As you breathe deeper, we invite you to observe the changes that happen within your body. As you flow, we encourage you to really and truly revel in the beauty of nature around you, as well as the present.

The Mala Studio will be hosting daily classes at Mazeej White this summer. Click here to view our wellness services at Mazeej.